Pipe-cradle.



No 851,352 PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

J. A. HIBBINS.

PIPE CRADLE.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG.17.1905.

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J. A. HIBBINS.

PIPE CRADLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17. 1905.

PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

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Unrrnn STATES PATIENT @FFIQE.

PIPE-CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed August 17,1905. $criol No. 274,631.

To all who/1t it IIMbj/ CON/(1677b;

Be it known that I, J OHN ALFRED I-Irenrxs, l a citizen of the United States, residing atW atsessing, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Cradles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description f the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

The objects of this invention are to provide a pipe cradle in which a joint or section of pipe can be conveniently carried to the trench in which itis to be laid, then lowered into said trench, and then turned or rotated to effect the usual connection by screwing to the next section; to secure a construction which shall be simple and cheap while at the same time strong and durable, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved pipe cradle herein described and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of .the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, F igure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pipe cradle, with certain carrying handles applied; Fig. 2 is a plan of the cradle; Fig. 3 is a longi tudinal section upon line a, Fig. 2 Fig. 4 shows the cradle as it is being used to lower a pipe into a trench, looking endwise of the pipe, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of said lowering device as shown in Fig. 4.

In said drawings, 2 indicates the cradle proper, comprising a U-shaped body portion 3, provided at its ends with oppositely and outwardly projecting extensions, 1, 4, in alinement with each other. Intermediate of said ends, the body portion 3, is longitudinally recessed or slotted in the plane of said body portion, as at 5, and in said slot are mounted rollers 6, upon transverse pins or bolts 7. These rollers project at the concave side of the body portion 3, slightly beyond the surface of said body portion, and thus l when a pipe rests in the cradle, the said rollers receive and support it, so that said pipe 1 can be easily rotated and with very little l friction. Preferably the extremities or ends i of the said Ushaped body portion are solid, as shown, or in other words, the side-pieces separated by the slot 5, extend directly downward from opposite sides of the extension 1. l Maximum strength is thus secured, and furthermore compactness of construction, so that after a pipe has been lowered the cradle can be removed and taken out of the trench by swinging it in its own plane a minimum part of a circle, without the extensions 4., engaging the walls and bottom of the trench. l lhe said ends 4, 4, of the body portion 3, of the cradle, are centrally recessed or bored inward from their extremities, as at 8, and prol vide sockets to re movably receive lifting handles 9. Said end extensions, are furthermore reduced back from their extremities as at 10, and adapted to receive rings 11, or the like upon the ends of hoisting chains 12, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus after the pipe 13, has

ceived by the lowering means, and the han dles 9, 9, removed out of the way.

, In lowering an ordinary pipe section into the trench, two cradles are preferably employed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each being suspended by the chains 12, from one of the opposite ends of a bar or lever 15. This bar is in turn supported at a middle point of its length by tackle 16, by means of which the heavy pipe is lowered. The tackle may be suspended from any ordinary and suitable support, such for example as the I-beam 17, mounted upon legs 18, adapted to straddle the trench, as shown in the drawings.

Obviously, the body portion 3, may be variously shaped so long as it provides the end extension 1, 4, and the intern'iediate pipe seat, and said seat instead of being regularly curved, as shown, could be angular, cut out on a broken line, or otherwise shaped to receive a pipe. The expression U-shaped in the claims, therefore, has been used as covering any of these forms, and is to be con strued accordingly.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. A pipe cradle comprising a U-shaped body portion providing at its concave edge an upwardly open seat to receive the pipe and having a longitudinal recess in said con cave edge, anti-friction members mounted in been carried to the trench 1 1, it may be re,

said recess to project therefrom, and opposite alined end extensions closing the ends of said longitudinal recess and projecting outward from the body portion, the said projecting ends providing independent handle sockets and means for attaching a chain or the like.

2. A U shaped pipe cradle, comprising opposite outwardly projecting end extensions, side pieces extending at their ends directly downward from the opposite sides of the inner ends of said extensions and forming between themselves a slot extending through the cradle in the plane of its curvature, the said extensions closing the ends of said slot and providing at their outer ends independent handle sockets and means for attaching a chain or the like, and anti-friction members mounted in said slot.

3. A U-shaped pipe cradle comprising opposite outwardly projecting end extensions, side pieces extending at their ends directly downwardly from the opposite sides of the inner ends of said extensions and forming between themselves a slot extending through the cradle in the plane of its curvature, said extensions at their inner ends closing the said slot, and at their outer extremities providing less than the width of said slot mounted in said slot upon transverse pins.

4. A U-shaped pipe cradle provided at its ends with independent handle sockets andmeans for attaching a chain or the like, and between said ends forming a pipe seat, antifriction members mounted in said seat, and handles adapted to be removably inserted in said sockets.

5. A pipe cradle having a body portion with opposite alined end extensions which provide interior handle sockets and are exteriorly reduced back from their extremities to receive a chain or the like, said body portion providing between said end extensions a pipe seat, anti-friction members mounted in said seat, and handles adapted to be removably inserted in said sockets.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of August, 1905.

JOHN ALFRED HIBBINS. WVitnesses:

RALPH LANCASTER, FRED. J. NORTH. 

